With missile over Japan, North Korea reminds US that it’s not going anywhere

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With missile over Japan, North Korea reminds US that it’s not going anywhere

Pyongyang wants sanctions relief and will continue to ramp up pressure through tests until Washington relents

Andrei Lankov October 10, 2022

With missile over Japan, North Korea reminds US that it’s not going anywhere

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks at a computer screen showing the trajectory of the intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan on Oct. 4, 2022 | Image: KCNA (Oct. 10, 2022)

They did it again. After a five-year break, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, some 2,800 miles (4,500 km) away. Japanese authorities even sounded evacuation warnings in some areas of the country.

Experts initially assessed that North Koreans had likely tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). But after DPRK state media released photos of the test on Monday, it appears Pyongyang actually tested a new missile.

About the Author

Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 - an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.

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